Slip Ring Contact Coaxial Connector

Abstract

A coaxial connector with a connector body is provided with a connector body bore. An annular coupling groove is provided in the connector body bore open to a cable end of the connector body. A clamp sidewall of the coupling grove is angled inward from a bottom of the coupling groove. A slip ring seated within the coupling body bore is provided with a grip surface. An annular compression body is positioned between the slip ring and a compression surface of the coupling body. The connector body and the coupling body are coupled together via threads. The slip ring is dimensioned for axial advancement of the coupling body along the threads to exert a compression force against the compression body to clamp a leading edge of the outer conductor between the slip ring and the clamp sidewall.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 184,573 “Coaxial Connector for Solid Outer Conductor Coaxial Cable” filed Jun. 5, 2009 by Nahid Islam and Al Cox, currently pending and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The invention relates to electrical connectors for coaxial cable. More particularly the invention relates to a coaxial connector with a slip ring contact which provides a grip and clamp outer conductor electro-mechanical interconnection.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]A positive stop type coaxial connector, for example as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,529 titled: “Coaxial Connector with Positive Stop Clamping Nut Attachment”, by Larry Buenz, issued Sep. 21, 2004, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, has a connector body and a back nut configured for threaded interconnec...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0038]As the coupling body 19 with attached slip ring 23 is inserted in and threaded into the connector body 7, an outer diameter of the distal end of the coupling spring finger(s) 31 engages a compression sidewall 41 angled outward from the bottom of the coupling groove 11, the decreasing diameter of the compression sidewall 41 driving the coupling spring finger(s) 31 radially inward towards the clamp sidewall 13 and outer conductor 17. Thereby, as best shown in FIG. 4, circumferential reinforcement is provided for the slip ring 23 by the connector body 7, reducing the structural requirements of the slip ring 23 and enabling a corresponding reduction in an outer diameter of the coaxial connector 5. Further, as the coupling spring finger(s) 31 are driven radially inward by the contact with the compression sidewall 41, the grip surface 33 is driven into secure contact with the outer conductor 17.

[0039]A compression body 25, for example a helical coil spring ring, is seated on an outer diameter of the coupling slip finger(s) 31, between an upward projecting compression body shoulder 43 and a compression surface 26 of the coupling body 19. A washer 57 may be applied between the compression body 25 and the compression surface 26 to reduce fouling during threading between the coupling body 19 and the connector body 7.

[0041]The threading between the connector body 7 and the coupling body 19 (FIGS. 1 and 2) may be applied as multiple interleaved thread(s) 47, for example four interleaved threads, increasing the thread pitch to significantly reduce the number of rotations required to advance the coupling body 19 to the positive stop 45 engagement with the connector body 7, without unacceptably reducing the strength characteristics of the resulting threaded interconnection.

[0042]An axial play between the coupling shoulder 27 and the retention groove 29 of the coupling body 19 may be utilized to compress a gasket 49 seated between a cable end 3 of the slip ring 23 and an inward projecting gasket shoulder 51 of the coupling body bore 21. Thereby, the outer conductor 17 may be easily inserted through the gasket 49 while in an uncompressed state and then as the coupling body 19 is advanced towards the connector body 7, the slip ring 23 is driven towards the cable end 3 of the retention groove 29, which compresses the gasket 49 against the gasket shoulder 51, deforming it radially inward into secure sealing engagement with the outer diameter of the outer conductor 17 (FIG. 4).

[0043]One skilled in the art will appreciate that the combination of leading edge outer conductor clamping with outer conductor gripping via the grip surface 33 may provide improved interconnection strength and / or additional strain relief by distributing stress from the front edge of the outer conductor 17 across the outer diameter of the outer conductor 17.

[0049]One skilled in the art will appreciate that providing the slip ring 23 pre-attached to the coupling body 19, the compression body 25 protected between the slip ring 23 and the coupling body 19, may significantly decrease the chances for loosing separate elements of the connector prior to assembly and / or improper assembly.Table of Parts1connector end3cable end5coaxial connector7connector body9connector body bore11coupling groove13clamp sidewall15bottom17outer conductor19coupling body21coupling body bore23slip ring25compression body26compression surface27coupling shoulder29retention groove31coupling spring finger33grip surface35barb37stop surface39insertion surface41compression sidewall43compression body shoulder45positive stop47thread49gasket51gasket shoulder53grip spring finger55wedge shoulder57washer59jacket

Problems solved by technology

The compression element is typically supplied loose with the coaxial connector prior to installation, which creates a loss and / or damage risk for the compression element.

Although a corrugated outer conductor coaxial cable provides a suitable outer diameter grip surface for a user during the flaring procedure, the smooth outer diameter of a smooth wall outer conductor coaxial cable may be difficult to easily grip during flaring.

Further, smooth wall outer conductor cables provide inherent materials cost and cable weight advantages compared to corrugated outer conductor coaxial cable configurations.

Aluminum has lower mechanical strength properties including cold work properties (bending) compared to copper.

Aluminum is susceptible to creep and may weaken at a single contact point with extreme contact pressure due to bending, pulling and / or twisting.

Smooth wall cable is less flexible compared to corrugated cable; however, users used to working with corrugated coaxial cable may not recognize the lower bend capability of smooth wall cable.

Users attempting to apply improper bend radii may overstress a conventional coaxial connector and cable interconnection.

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